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Random musings from the Handbasket to Hell

I’ve seen this particular protest from people around Christmastime for many years now, and I’ve never said anything about it, because it really didn’t seem like it was that big of a deal. Finally, this year I came across it again somewhere, probably a non sequitur reply to some post on social media, a self-styled, wild-eyed prophet-of-doom leveling a double-barrelled Jeremiad at what s/he regards as the lukewarm vomitus of the Laodicean church age, and I’d had enough. In short, the charge is that Christmas is a pagan holiday, and your Christmas tree is the very thing condemned by the prophet Jeremiah in the tenth chapter of his eponymous book.

Well, is it? Are you some sort of Babylonian idolator for observing the Christmas holiday, and setting up in your house a Christmas tree? We could really go to town on this theme that our modern, Christian holidays are nothing more than dressed up pagan observances. First, let’s establish a few givens:

Yes, most modern Christian observances occur on retooled pagan observances; Christmas coincides with Saturnalia and Yuletide (pagan Roman and pagan Germanic observances, respectively). Easter is practically named for a pagan goddess, Ishtar. All Saints’ Day (and its attendant All Saints’ Eve–All Hallows’ Eve), and Reformation Day coincide with Halloween. You can thank the Roman Catholic Church for a lot of that weirdness. Maybe they thought they were being helpful by aligning Christian observances with the observances of the newly converted barbarian tribes. Their motives aren’t really the issue here.

Yes, many traditions integrated into Christian holiday observances originated as pagan observances. Personally, I find the paganization of Jesus’s resurrection observance rather galling (no pun intended), but I don’t get my knickers in a knot over it. The whole Easter bunny and dyed eggs reeks of Babylonian fertility cult nonsense. I despise it, but I’ll still go medieval on a chocolate bunny if the opportunity arises. I’ve heard (but not verified) that the Christmas tree came from Germanic barbarian traditions and was integrated in the Christmas that way.

Anyway, to the point. The proof-text-of-choice for the condemnation of the Christmas tree is Jeremiah 10:3-4. In fact, it’s the only verse I can find that even peripherally might be talking about a Christmas tree–hint #1 that this is bogus. Hint #2 that this is bogus–Jeremiah is speaking to Israel on the cusp of their being taken into Babylonian captivity, during the period of 630-580 BC:

For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

I’ll cut to the chase. This isn’t a condemnation of Christmas trees, and it doesn’t make you an idolator for having a Christmas tree in your home. The key here is in the word “workman.” The Hebrew word is “charash,” and it carries the meaning of craftsman or artificer. I can be used for a jeweler, a mason, a carpenter, an engraver, etc. It’s not just some schlub who goes out and whacks down a tree and hangs a few ornaments on it. This verse is talking about the absurdity of idolatry. A man cuts down a tree, carves it into an image and covers it in gold and silver. He sets it up so it doesn’t fall. Verse 5 cinches it; Jeremiah is speaking of idols:

* Yes, it’s the Chachapoyan fertility idol that Indiana Jones had to throw to get the whip.

They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Jeremiah 10:5

It’s not the tree that Jeremiah is speaking of; it is the idol that it was made into, and the false gods that it represents. So unless you are worshiping your Christmas tree, you’re okay. Idolatry is a big problem in this world, but the Christmas tree isn’t inherently part of the problem. ANYTHING can be an idol, if it takes the place of the Living God in your life. On that front, you should be vigilant against idolatry every day.

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. John 9:4-5

One of the biggest things that an entity can do to prevent a fight with another is to talk to that other entity. Talking ‘to’ somebody is different in intent and effect than talking ‘at’ them. By talking to another, one person offers their observations, opinions, desires to the other while that person listens. Then the roles of speaker and listener reverse, the listener now offering response to what the first person said and their own observations, opinions, desires, et cetera. Through this process, two opposing interests can interact and find some common ground upon which they might build trust, and maybe a fledgling relationship that could halt hostility or even establish a peaceful coexistence of mutual understanding and respect. “Talking at” someone is little more than a verbal barrage of demands, talking points, and propaganda, the intent of which is to fill the space with noise so that no other voices can be heard and thus make their positions known. “Talking to” is also known as ‘conversation’; “talking at” is nothing more than verbal warfare, designed to silence the voice of the other.

When people have a conversation on a subject about which they do not agree, but manage to do so while maintaining civility, it is called “civil discourse.” It is the process by which peace has come to warring factions since the beginning. For all the blustering and saber-rattling that occurs in international relations, the fact is that a lot of the real negotiation happens via back-channel communications. What we finally see publicized as peaceful settlements or reduction of tensions between states is usually the product of such back-channel conversations (i.e. civil discourse). Back-channel communications ultimately defused the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Had President Kennedy not been able to communicate in a civil manner with Soviet Premier Krushchev during this period of unprecedented tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, it is a real possibility that those two nations would have finally come to blows, likely sparking some degree of a nuclear exchange. It is said that in 1219, during a Crusader siege of the Muslim-held city of Damietta, Egypt. that the Sultan al-Kamil allowed Francis of Assisi to enter Damietta during a cease-fire, remain there for several days, and preach to the Muslims there. He was received and treated cordially, and allowed to return to the Crusader position unharmed before the resumption of hostilities. I doubt that this visit had much effect on the situation, but who knows? That is happened is a remarkable note in history.

I say all that to make this point: get people talking to stop people fighting. From that, you can derive this corollary: to get people fighting, stop people from talking. What you are seeing in today’s headlines is the death of civil discourse, which has been a protracted murder by strangulation at the hands of that serial liberty-killer, Political Correctness. For decades, free speech has been systematically squelched and suffocated under the guise of protecting people from being offended. It has advanced from being merely an ever-growing list of proscribed words, to proscribed subjects, to proscribed opinions, until we have arrived where we are now in the time of proscribed facts. Truth will now get you a beat-down in the public forum.

Today is the day of the so-called “Great American Eclipse” (only about eight hours from now as I write this), but a greater American eclipse has begun already. With the death of civil discourse comes the end of the great age of American free speech. It has never been ‘safe’ to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere, even in the United States, but it has never been more dangerous to do so here than it is now. It will become more dangerous with each passing day unless something happens to reverse this tide of darkness. Whereas one could generally expect to be heckled and sometimes abused for preaching or witnessing, it is now more likely that a Christian will be physically assaulted and injured for such an act. The end is surely near; it is closer every day, and because of the lateness of the hour, we can only expect more trouble from the powers of darkness.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

It’s time for a little bible study. Now, it’s been a few years since bible college, so give me a break if I’m not the razor-sharp seminary student of a “few” years ago. This won’t be a doctoral dissertation; it won’t even be tight enough to be a college paper. This is a shoot-from-the-hip cursory study that might just illuminate a biblical truth or two that perhaps you haven’t seen before.

Biblical Hebrew poetry uses devices not seen a lot in English poetry; one of those devices is the chiasm. It’s a form of parallelism basically setting two thoughts or ideas in either contrast or complement. This parallelism can occur in a single verse, a group of verses, or whole chapters. Look at Psalm 101:7

He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house:

he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

This one is pretty simple. “He that worketh deceit” is parallel with “he that telleth lies,” and “shall not dwell within my house” is parallel with “shall not tarry in my sight.” The arranged comparison is a device for emphasis, the overall message being that liars will not enjoy the presence of God.

In larger parallelisms, verses are arranged to emphasize a message or idea. It would look something like this:

1.a

. 2.b

. 3.c

. 4.b

5.a

In this case, verses (vv.) 1 and 7, and 2 and 6 are complementary, either emphasizing a thought or illuminating a contrast. Further, verse (v.) 3 is the peak of the poem, and stands as the overall idea of the whole poem. So with all that in mind, let’s take a look at Psalm 118.

Something that is immediately evident is that v 1 and v 29 are almost verbatim, which is a good indication that the whole psalm might be a parallelism. In verses 15-17, which is about halfway through the psalm, we see this:

15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous:

. the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

. 16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted:

. the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

17 I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

We have parallels at the beginning and end, and a fairly obvious parallelism and peak in vv15-16, and see that the overall theme or point of the psalm is “the right had of the LORD is exalted.” Interesting, so let’s see how the rest of the psalms parallels, and what we can learn from it. Either WordPress won’t let me, or I’m not smart enough to figure out how to split a post into two columns. Instead, I will put the verse followed by its parallel verse. (It’s not the best format; I hope it doesn’t make it too difficult to understand.) This isn’t rock solid, but some of these pairings make for some interesting results, others maybe not so much, but hopefully this will give you some new ways of regarding this and other scriptures. Author’s comments below in brackets.

Verses 1 and 29: 1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. — 29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. [The beginning and the end of the psalm, the first clue that this is parallelism.]

Verses 2 and 28: 2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. — 28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. [Verse 28 is the crux of Israel’s relationship with God.]

Verses 3 and 27: 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. — 27 God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. [The house of Aaron refers to the Aaronic priesthood who performed the sacrifices and other religious duties of the temple, and v27 speaks of the act of making such a sacrifice.]

Verses 4 and 26: 4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever. — 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. [“Them now that fear the LORD” means the faithful, righteous Israelites of that time. Verse 26 is a prophetic reference to the coming of Jesus, the fulfillment of the priestly office.]

Verses 5 and 25: 5 I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. — 25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. [Both verses are calls to the LORD for rescue. In v5, God answers by setting the psalmist in a large place, i.e. a place free from distress and anxiety–“breathing room” if you will. In v25, the psalmist calls not just for rescue, but for God to advance/prosper him.]

Verses 6 and 24: 6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? — 24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. [Why fear when God is on my side? Rather, I will use my time on this earth to praise him.]

Verses 7 and 23: 7 The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. — 23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. [

Verses 8 and 22: 8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. — 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. [Verse 22–another prophetic reference to Jesus. Rather than putting one’s faith in unstable man, one’s faith is better placed upon the immovable rock of Christ.]

Verses 9 and 21: 9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. — 21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. [Instead of hoping in the temporal power of princes, the psalmist rejoices because his petitions have already been heard and his answer already sent by the God, the King of Creation.

Verses 10 and 20: 10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them. — 20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. [The enemies surrounding the psalmist will be destroyed, perhaps he will pass through them as easily as he passes through a gate.]

Verses 11 and 19b: 11 They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. — 19b I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: [When combined as a parallel, these verses give the impression that the psalmist will walk into the midst of his enemies and praise the LORD, the ultimate act of faith in God and his providential protection.]

Verses 12 and 19a: 12 They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. — 19a Open to me the gates of righteousness: [Not sure what to make of this parallel. The imagery used is interesting, however. He is surrounded by enemies as if he were being swarmed by bees, but their capacity to harm him is brief, flaring up like a dry bush that catches fire quickly and expires just as quickly for lack of fuel.]

Verses 13 and 18: 13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me. — 18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. [An obvious parallel here–in v13 the enemy has attacked the psalmist with the intent to destroy him, but God intervened on his behalf and preserved him. He was “chastened sore”–disciplined harshly by God for his transgression, but God would not allow him to be destroyed.]

Verses 14 and 17b: 14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. — 17b and declare the works of the LORD. [The Lord is the psalmist’s song, with which he declares the Lord’s deeds.]

Verses 15a and 17a: 15a The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: — 17a I shall not die, but live [Perhaps a parallel within a parallel here. Rejoicing and salvation are heard in the tents of the righteous, and because of righteousness, the psalmist will not die.]

Verses 15b and 16b: 15b the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. — 16b the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. [A parallel of identical thoughts, which highlight the theme of the psalm.]

Verse 16a: The right hand of the LORD is exalted: [Here is the theme of the entire psalm. Throughout, the psalmist has declared the works of the Lord and how over and over again the Lord has preserved the psalmist by the mighty works of his right hand.]

This isn’t an exhaustive study of this psalm; some students of the bible may even disagree with my analysis, and have a different one all together. That’s fine; the bible is a living word that speaks to the heart of whoever reads it. My goal here is to help you see some of the additional layers of meaning that are in scripture that we don’t usually hear about in your usual Sunday sermon. Whatever the case, if you take a little extra time to read and reflect on God’s word, you will begin to see deeper meaning and a more personal application to your life.

Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:26-31

Summer of 2017 is turning out to be quite the season astronomically. Around July 23, and X-class solar flare and accompanying CME (coronal mass ejection) occurred from a sunspot on the far side of the sun. Had that flare occurred on the earth side of the sun, it would have lit up the skies with auroras, and perhaps have interfered with many electronic systems on the planet. A strong enough CME could destroy the electrical grid and computer systems, effectively knocking the world back to the mid-19th century (only technologically speaking. Unfortunately, we would still be stuck with 21st century morals and problems).

Around the middle of July, earth entered the debris stream left by the comet Swift-Tuttle, and beginning the nearly month-long Perseid meteor shower. It starts slowly and peaks around August 9-13 every year. This year, it will peak on August 12. Meteor showers aren’t particularly big news; several occur like clockwork every year. However, this year’s Perseid shower are different from other meteor showers apparently, and for this reason are notable in to those of us watching for prophetically significant events. Astronomers say that the 2017 Perseids will be the brightest meteor shower…in recorded human history. Just how, exactly, one determines the brightness of a meteor shower, I don’t know, but I assume it has to do with the rate (meteors per hour) and perhaps the expected size of meteors, or maybe the number of fireballs (i.e. meteors brighter than the magnitude of the planet Venus). [After publication of this post, I was notified by those guardians of truth, the Facebook Truth Police, that the referenced article on the meteor shower is disputed by other paragons of truth, Snopes, and the Associated Press. Even if this story should prove to be 100% baloney, it doesn’t mitigate the myriad of other celestial signs happening these days.]

We’ve not heard much about this in the US, but on August 7th, parts of Asia, Australia, and the Indian Ocean will see a partial lunar eclipse. There’s nothing especially noteworthy about this event (as far as I know) other than its proximity to two other events, one of which is the Perseid shower above.

The other event, the total solar eclipse happening on August 21st, has been widely publicized in the United States, since the path of totality makes landfall on the Oregon coast, travels across Wyoming, Missouri, and leaves through South Carolina.

I would think that this eclipse could be considered a “sign in the sun and moon”, and maybe even the stars, since in areas in the path of totality, some of the brightest stars might be visible during the eclipse. Certainly, a brilliant meteor shower would appear that the stars are falling from heaven. It’s something to consider, anyway.

Weirdly, seven years hence, a second total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024. this time entering the US at Eagle Pass, Texas, crossing Arkansas, Indiana, and skirting the US-Canadian border from Ohio to Maine. Much has been made of the paths of these two events, as the area where they cross is supposedly over the New Madrid seismic zone, which is the site of several extra-biblical, alleged prophecies of a massive earthquake that will supposedly destroy the Mississippi valley from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.

I don’t know about all that. What I do know is that the area of common totality for both eclipses is a parallelogram, the southern border of which touches Cairo, Illinois. Cairo, Illinois is considered the northernmost point of the New Madrid seismic zone. It makes for some interesting coincidences for sure, but it’s nothing over which to get one’s knickers in a twist. Of course, there is that whole “earthquakes in divers places” in Matthew 24:7, but really, I’m not so sure that has anything to do with this. I guess we’ll see.

Just an interesting side note: In Judaism, solar eclipses are considered solemn signs or warnings to the nations (i.e. everybody except the Jews). That kind of makes this “X marks the spot” thing seem a little more ominous.

I happened to catch the old Bruce Willis movie “Armageddon” on television the other night about halfway through. When the movie was released, I thought (and still do) that the title was stupid in the extreme, even though the term “Armageddon” is used in culture to refer to the end of the world or civilization in general. It just seemed that Hollywood grabbed any old end-of-the-world word and slapped it on the movie. Call me weird, but nothing bothers me like stupid titles for either books or movies.

For lack of anything better to do, I started watching the movie from the point where the crew is preparing to launch to space and begin their mission. Cue the montage of people around the world with the slow motion footage of the mission crew heading to the launch pad and boarding the shuttle, and the obligatory presidential voice-over, given by actor Stanley Anderson. I gave the speech a few half-hearted scoffs as it started off with the usual global citizen nonsense, but I perked up and started paying attention when I heard this:

“The bible calls this day Armageddon, the end of all things.”

Wait, what?

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Revelation 16:12-16.

The bible does not say that Armageddon is an imminent meteor impact, but with the sentence above, the whole speech takes a dark turn. With that sentence, the movie says, “This speech is not talking about the coming meteor, but the coming Christ.” Here is the speech in its entirety.

“I address you tonight not at the President of the United States, not as the leader of a country, but as a citizen of humanity.

“We are faced with the very gravest of challenges. The bible calls this day Armageddon, the end of all things. [TDWK— Here the speaker has identified what this ‘gravest of challenges” really is.] And yet, for the first time in the history of the planet, a species has the technology to prevent its own extinction. All of you praying with us need to know that everything that can be done to prevent this disaster is being called into service. The human thirst for excellence, knowledge, every step up the ladder of science, every adventurous reach into space, all of our combined modern technologies and imaginations, even the wars that we have fought have provided us the tools to wage this terrible battle. Through all the chaos that is our history, for all the wrongs and discord, through all the pain and suffering, through all of our times, there is one thing that has nourished our souls and elevated our species above its origins, and that is our courage. The dreams of an entire planet are focused tonight on those fourteen brave souls traveling into the heavens. May we all, citizens of the world over, see these events through. God speed and good luck to you.” 1

Reading this speech with the perspective that it is speaking of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ changes its tenor completely. What originally sounded like a typical do-or-die, go-get-‘em speech now sounds hubristic and rebellious. The return of Jesus is now the “very gravest of challenges.” He is coming to bring about the extinction of the species. In truth, he comes to bring about extinction of the satanic world order forever. Everything that can be done to prevent his return is being called into service. All of humanity’s vast knowledge, experience, science, warfare, technologies and imaginations are weapons to be deployed against Him. It isn’t God that has nourished humanity through the chaos and pain, but human courage, and human courage has elevated man above his origin (i.e. his Creator, God Almighty). Sounds like the Luciferic boast of Isaiah 14:12-14, doesn’t it?

(For some extra fun, do a little research on the word “imaginations” in the Bible. You’ll find gems like this. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.” 2 Corinthians 10:5a.)

I could continue to pick this speech apart and find all kinds of heinous things, but why belabor the issue? The point here is that this movie was made almost twenty years ago, and in it we find cleverly disguised yet obvious satanic defiance of Christ. Our culture is rife with stuff like this today, but it was twenty years ago also. People like to say that things in America shifted from the glory days of post-WWII and the 1950s and turned our culture toward this dark path. They like to blame the sixties, or the hippies, or Woodstock, or Elvis Presley, or the Beatles. But somebody didn’t just turn the lights off on the world one day in 1965; the lights the world over have been dimming toward that great and terrible day of God’s wrath since Adam and Eve first fell.

The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hastens greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.

Zephaniah 1:14-15 AKJV

This is the kind of stuff with which our movies, television programs, news, advertisements, sports, and music are peppered. It is everywhere, and it increases in volume and brazenness with passing time. When things like this are pointed out, they are poo-pooed by supposed experts as religious, right-wing paranoia and conspiracy-nut whackery, but in the occult, symbolism is taken with deadly seriousness. If subliminal messaging is as ridiculously ineffective as we have all been told for decades, then why is it used all the time in advertising? Because it isn’t ineffective; it is effective, which means it makes a difference.

Look around as you go through your day, as you watch television or movies, listen to music or the news. How many things do you see that are representations of occult symbols? We are so inured to them that we see nothing at first, until you finally spot one, and your eyes are opened. This isn’t something for you to be worried or alarmed about. It is to get you to see just how much satanic influence pervades the things in our world. It is literally everywhere. By seeing this, one can better understand the truth of the scripture, “Friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4).

As you may have noticed, I haven’t posted here in almost nine months. After the election, I didn’t come across anything that made me feel compelled to comment. In fact, I was exhausted from it all, and ended up taking a hiatus from posting here.

I am still primarily focused on bible prophecy as it might be found in current events, but I feel that it is time for an expansion of this blog’s direction. While away from here, I have been watching the circus that current events and news have become. I have tried to make sense of it all. It makes no sense. The individual stories are a maelstrom of idiocy and evil. Taken as a whole, the overriding theme seems to be a concerted, coordinated offensive of evil against what few bastions of good and freedom remain in this world. That’s no big surprise, nor is it anything new, except that just from my own humble, low-to-the-horizon point of view, I’ve never seen anything like it to this magnitude.

What I have acquired during this time off is a rising feeling of alarm. I see an utterly untenable situation in the west, and when somebody steps up to breach the gap and stop the decline of the west, they are swarmed by the most bizarre coalition of attackers imaginable, groups that on the surface have no connection (or worse, have overt conflict of philosophies). If one believes that God is truly in control of the affairs of men (as I do), then to wring hands and ponder what it all means is really a waste of time. Whoever sits in the White House, or any other seat of power, has been placed there by God for his purposes. We can speculate what those purposes are in the short-term (we know what they are long-term), but even that has a very limited value. We know where this is all going; at best, analyzing it all tells us where along the path we are.

The alarm I feel isn’t that the end is near. It is near, and that is the one thing that gives me hope. No, the alarm I feel is at the growing revelation of how deluded, deceived, and disconnected people are, and at the surge of hypnotic garbage being hurled at them. Day and night, 24/7/365, we are hosed with an endless, vile stream of immoral emesis designed to distract and anesthetize us. And while I have always been aware of an undercurrent of occultism and anti-Christian/anti-Jewish sentiment in media, I have recently become more sensitive to it, and not just because it’s getting worse and more blatant. I could go all day long and find things for you that are loaded with occult symbolism; it would be like trying to find garbage at a landfill. But some of those things, in their context, are loaded with import.

So, prophecy is still an important thing to consider because, as I said above, it helps us to know where we are on the road map to the end, but I hope to expand into exposing some of the poison “they” are trying to feed us. If we learn some of what they are doing to us and how they are doing it, it can only make us wiser and less susceptible to it. I also hope to include some actual bible teaching and exposition. Overall, this new direction is to wake people up to the world, the imminence of its end, and the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I can’t guarantee that I won’t vent about something periodically, but politics for politics’ sake won’t be the topic.

Watching events unfold leading up to this election, I have been increasingly puzzled concerning the dream I had about Clinton, which I described in the December 10, 2015 post, “Of Old Men’s Dreams“. I feel now–as I felt then–that the dream was a divine word or warning, although now I’m not so sure that my interpretation of it was correct. I still believe it was a warning about the church and its relationship with Hillary Clinton; I just read the nature of that warning incorrectly. With the recent revelations coming from the compromise of the Democratic National Committee’s email, a picture of Hillary Clinton has emerged that portrays her as a peculiar kind of evil, a wickedness of Old Testament proportions. She, I believe, is under the sway of a demonic spirit akin to that which possessed the evil queen Jezebel. Who knows? Maybe it’s the same exact spirit. The depth of this woman’s depravity is appalling. The similarities between these two evil women are startling. Perhaps that warrants an article in itself.

“The symbolism in the dream leads me to believe that American Christians can lose this country to four or, God-forbid, eight years of godless Clinton National Socialism, but we have the power to stop it. It was in the aisles of the American church where Clinton closed the rather significant deficit she had in the race. Why? Because people in the church played nice and civil, and entertained the audacious lie that she is some kind of old-school, deep South, fried chicken, church picnic Christian, when she is nothing of the sort. If anything, she is an enemy of the American church.”

Some of you felt a thrill when you read that title. If you did, you are part of the problem, and if you consider yourself a Christian, then you instinctively recognized yourself as an apostate. Read the article either now or after finishing this post. But read it. When I saw that title, it lead me to the conclusions below, before I ever read the article itself.

I thought the dream was a warning to the true church not to be deceived by a spectacular deception by the DNC and the Clinton campaign. Nothing could be less likely. All the Clinton dirty laundry–the lies, graft, conspiracies, violence, arrogance,and hate–are up the flagpole for all to see. The true church is not to whom or about whom the warning is given. This is a warning to the apostate church. Hillary Clinton’s wickedness is laid bare for the world to see. You, apostate church, now have NO EXCUSE. To support her, to endorse her, is to participate in and approve of her wickedness. The time to make your break from the apostate church is now. Breaking doesn’t just mean leaving churches which teach apostasy; it means leaving those apostate teachings behind as well. Forsake the worldliness that has polluted these churches, and run far away from them. Stop indulging your pet lusts and carnality, and flee to the safety of Christ. Your love of this world will not be camouflaged from His eyes by your Playskool Church. Flee any church which does not teach the unadulterated, unapologetic gospel of Jesus Christ, or that tolerates and coddles immorality–because God does not.

This isn’t about supporting Donald Trump. It is about NOT supporting the brazen wickedness of Hillary Clinton. Don’t like Trump? Don’t vote for him, but support this evil woman at your own peril.

“[W]hosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.” Ezekiel 33:4 KJV

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. YOUR BLOOD IS ON YOUR OWN HEAD.

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”